And sometimes it is permitted to tell the thing to others even if it has not yet come to the ears of the one spoken about. As when he sees that absolute benefit will accrue to him [the latter], and, also, that the aforementioned details are not lacking (see Be'er Mayim Chayim). And I shall explain what I mean by "benefit," so that the reader not come to err in this. As when he knows the nature of the talebearer (and the nature of the story), that just as he demeans him to his face, so will he go afterwards and demean him further before others (especially in that we mentioned that he must first reprove him, and he did so, and his words were not accepted). And it is well known, in our many sins, that almost all of us stumble into lashon hara, especially the acceptance of lashon hara, so that it is likely that his lashon hara will be accepted, and it will be very difficult afterwards to remove it from their ears, for "the first in the quarrel is right." Therefore, it is certainly fitting that he come first to those people and set forth before them the great wrong of the talebearer and relate before them how he demeans that innocent man, so that when the talebearer afterwards comes to them and tells them his story, they will not accept his words, and, to the contrary, will reprove him to his face. And, certainly, when he sees that his words are not being accepted and are also causing him shame and disgrace, he will guard himself against this in the future. This is certainly permitted, for he will thereby rescue the one spoken about from grief and shame, and also the souls of the speaker and the accepter from the din of Gehinnom, and they [the later hearers] will also fulfill in him [the speaker] the positive commandment of reproof.
וּפְעָמִים דְּמֻתָּר לְסַפֵּר הַדָּבָר לַאֲחֵרִים, אַף אִם עֲדַיִן לֹא נוֹדַע לְהַנִּדּוֹן, דְּהַיְנוּ אִם הוּא רוֹאֶה (כא) שֶׁיַּגִּיעַ לְהַנִּדּוֹן מִזֶּה תּוֹעֶלֶת מַמָּשׁ, (כב) וְלֹא יַחְסְרוּ בָּזֶה גַּם כֵּן הַפְּרָטִים הַנַּ"ל, וְעַיֵּן בִּבְאֵר מַיִם חַיִּים. וַאֲבָאֵר אֶת דְּבָרַי בְּעִנְיַן הַתּוֹעֶלֶת, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יָבוֹא הַקּוֹרֵא לִטְעוֹת בָּזֶה, כְּגוֹן, שֶׁהוּא מַכִּיר בְּטֶבַע הָאִישׁ הָרוֹכֵל וּלְפִי עִנְיַן הַסִפּוּר, שֶׁכְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא מְגַנְּה אוֹתוֹ בְּפָנָיו, כֵּן יֵלֵךְ אַחַר כָּךְ מִמֶּנּוּ וִיגַנְּה אוֹתוֹ עוֹד בִּפְנֵי אֲנָשִׁים אֲחֵרִים, וּבִפְרָט, לְפִי מַה שֶּׁכָּתַבְנוּ, דְּצָרִיךְ לְהוֹכִיחוֹ מִקֹּדֶם, וְהוֹכִיחוֹ, וְלֹא קִבֵּל דְּבָרָיו. וְדָבָר זֶה יָדוּעַ, בַּעֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים, כִּי כִּמְעַט כֻּלָּנוּ נִכְשָׁלִין בְּלָשׁוֹן הָרָע, וּבִפְרָט, בְּקַבָּלַת לָשׁוֹן הָרָע, וְקָרוֹב הַדָּבָר, שֶׁתִּתְקַבֵּל הַלָשׁוֹן הָרָע שֶׁלּוֹ, וְיִהְיֶה קָשֶׁה אַחַר כָּךְ לְהוֹצִיא אֶת הַדְּבָרִים מִלִּבָּם, כִּי צַדִּיק הָרִאשׁוֹן בְּרִיבוֹ. לָכֵן בְּוַדַּאי נָכוֹן הַדָּבָר, שֶׁיַּקְדִּים אֶת עַצְּמוֹ לִפְנִי אוֹתָם הָאֲנָשִׁים, וְיַעֲרִיךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם גֹּדֶל עַוְלָתוֹ שֶׁל הַמְרַגֵּל, וִיסַפֵּר לִפְנֵיהֶם, אֵיךְ שֶׁהוּא מְגַנְּה לְאוֹתוֹ פְּלוֹנִי בְּחִנָּם עַל לֹא חָמָס בְּכַפּוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁכַּאֲשֶׁר יָבוֹא אַחַר כָּךְ הַמְרַגֵּל וִיסַפֵּר לִפְנֵיהֶם, לֹא יִתְקַבְּלוּ דְּבָרָיו, וְאַדְּרַבָּה, יוֹכִיחוּהוּ עַל פָּנָיו, וּבְוַדַּאי, כְּשֶׁיִּרְאֶה, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְקַבְּלוּ דְּבָרָיו, וְגַם הֵם לוֹ לְקָלוֹן וּלְחֶרְפָּה, יִשְׁמֹר אֶת עַצְמוֹ מִזֶּה עַל לְהַבָּא. וְאֹפֶן זֶה בְּוַדַּאי מֻתָּר, כִּי בָּזֶה יַצִּיל אֶת נְפֶשׁ הַנִּדּוֹן מִצַּעַר וּכְלִמָּה, וְגַם אֶת נְפֶשׁ הַמְסַפֵּר וְהַמְקַבֵּל מִדִּינָה שֶׁל גֵּיהִנֹּם, וְגַם יְקַיְּמוּ עַל יָדוֹ מִצְּוַת עֲשֵׂה דְּהוֹכָחָה.
And sometimes it is permitted to tell the thing to others even if it has not yet come to the ears of the one spoken about. As when he sees that absolute benefit will accrue to him [the latter], and, also, that the aforementioned details are not lacking (see Be'er Mayim Chayim). And I shall explain what I mean by "benefit," so that the reader not come to err in this. As when he knows the nature of the talebearer (and the nature of the story), that just as he demeans him to his face, so will he go afterwards and demean him further before others (especially in that we mentioned that he must first reprove him, and he did so, and his words were not accepted). And it is well known, in our many sins, that almost all of us stumble into lashon hara, especially the acceptance of lashon hara, so that it is likely that his lashon hara will be accepted, and it will be very difficult afterwards to remove it from their ears, for "the first in the quarrel is right." Therefore, it is certainly fitting that he come first to those people and set forth before them the great wrong of the talebearer and relate before them how he demeans that innocent man, so that when the talebearer afterwards comes to them and tells them his story, they will not accept his words, and, to the contrary, will reprove him to his face. And, certainly, when he sees that his words are not being accepted and are also causing him shame and disgrace, he will guard himself against this in the future. This is certainly permitted, for he will thereby rescue the one spoken about from grief and shame, and also the souls of the speaker and the accepter from the din of Gehinnom, and they [the later hearers] will also fulfill in him [the speaker] the positive commandment of reproof.